Referendum on Outaouais mine to take place next year

People living near the site of a proposed graphite mine in the Outaouais will get a chance to have their say in a referendum, but not for more than a year.

An alliance of local municipalities announced on Sunday during a public information session in Chénéville, Que., that the vote will take place Nov. 2, 2025.

Chénéville is among the towns surrounding the proposed La Loutre site, located about 80 kilometres northeast of Gatineau. The alliance also includes Duhamel, Lac-Simon, St-Émile-de-Suffolk and Lac-des-Plages. 

Elected officials said they want to give the area's combined population of nearly 6,000 the opportunity to learn more and form an educated opinion about the project, proposed by Lomiko Metals. The referendum will coincide with local elections to avoid added expense. 

"We've got 432 days to inform the population correctly so they can then inform the government as to whether or not they have concern on the project," said Duhamel Mayor David Pharand, also a spokesperson for the alliance. 

Pharand said about 300 people attended Sunday's meeting, but Lomiko Metals did not send a representative after announcing earlier this month that it would not take part in the public sessions.

"The population is quite concerned because the population is accustomed to economic development which is based on recreation and lakes," Pharand said. 

Pharand said the referendum is in keeping with the province's pledge to seek public buy-in for such projects. Quebec Premier François Legault indicated in August 2022 that no mining project will be carried out without what's referred to in the province as "social acceptability."

Claude Bouffard, coordinator of the Citizens' Committee Opposing La Loutre Mining Project, said he wished there was more consultation, especially around questions of funding.

"[Lomiko Metals] want to work with the people, but at the end of the day it's like they went to do this [behind] our backs," Bouffard said. 

"People are angry, people are upset, people are disappointed," Bouffard said. "It's a very serious situation."

Lomiko Metals told Radio-Canada Monday it's moving away from large open public forums and toward small discussion groups until the project is further along.

Concerns over housing prices

Bouffard said his committee is concerned that the project could contaminate the environment and put public health at risk. He said residents are also concerned that if one mine is approved, more will follow.

"We would get the feeling of being in a city in the middle of nature," Bouffard said. 

Local resident Huguette Malette said she's been unable to sell her house because of the anti-mine signs scattered throughout her neighbourhood.

Jean-Claude Robert, who accompanied Mallete to Sunday's meeting, said it's important for the community to come together to show its opposition to the mine.

"It's really good to show the government that we simply don't want this damned mine," he said. 

Pharand said he's also seeing more homes in Duhamel for sale.

"Some people are already so concerned that the stress is too much for them. They just put up a sign for sale and say let's quit while we're ahead," Pharand said. 

"They know that it won't be great, it won't be the same place that they had for four generations in the family," he said. "It's heartbreaking for many."

The next public information session will take place Sept. 15 in Saint-Émile-de-Suffolk.